


Bump in the Night

by Estelathan



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hell Trials Recovery, Human Castiel, Season/Series 08 Spoilers, Sick Sam Winchester, Teddy Bears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 13:50:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6378598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estelathan/pseuds/Estelathan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only so much tossing and turning one can do before they say screw it and give up. Sam can't sleep; turns out he's not the only one having a hard time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bump in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a simple fluff piece and grew from there. . . AU from the end of Season 8 and for Season 9

"Dean?" Sam calls out, his voice barely more than a thin rasping whisper as he comes shuffling down the bunker hallway from his room. It's the middle of the night but there's a thin shaft of light peeking out from Dean's semi-open bedroom door and Sam's long given up any hope on sleeping; there's only so much restless tossing and turning one can do before they say screw it and give up. Weeks have passed since the botched ending to the third trial and while Sam thinks he might finally be on the road to recovery the fever still continues to escalate at night leaving him an achy, exhausted, shivery mess. It's been bad enough tonight he's bundled up like it's the middle of the winter, and is touting the blanket off his bed clutched tight around his shoulders like the world's biggest toddler with a make-believe cape. The whole situation is ridiculous, and Sam's positive the first thing Dean's going to do is make a crack about his chill-warding apparel, but frankly he can't bring himself to care. Things are still odd between them but its age-old habit for him to seek out Dean when he's in need of comforting, not that he'd ever mention that out loud or to said brother, so here Sam is.

 

"Sam?" Dean's voice calls out, but not from his room like Sam had been expecting. Instead it's from behind him to which Sam turns and raises his eyebrows because at the end of the hallway there's Dean, still fully dressed from the day, looking suspiciously bright-eyed and lurking right outside Cas' bedroom. Huh. Sam's brow furrows in confusion and he blinks, wondering belatedly if the fever has gotten to the point he's hallucinating but nope, every time he opens his eyes Dean's still there looking at him with concern. "...What?" Sam finally manages to ask, waving one blanket-clutched hand helplessly at his brother, trying to convey what he's seeing here.

 

For his part Dean's face flips through several emotions ranging from confused to startled (though Sam's fairly sure that one's from being caught creeping on Cas) to relief (and that one Sam's positive it's because he's the one who caught him at it and not Kevin) before finally settling on the familiar look of concern that's been directed Sam's way for weeks now. "Hey," Dean says, clearing his throat roughly as he pushes off the door frame and heads down the hall the few paces to reach Sam. Once he's close enough he reaches out, placing one blissfully cool hand on his little brother's forehead. "You're burning up! What are you doing out of bed?"

 

At first Sam's too busy drinking in the many things flitting across Dean's face that he's not even aware his brother has moved until he's pressing his cold hand to his forehead, and good god does that feel good. Screw trying to seek comfort and shield away from it at the same time; Sam's eyes flutter closed of their own accord and for a moment he lets himself enjoy the simple relief. It lasts until Dean's words finally catch up with his hazy brain and just like a flipped switch the moment is gone-- he pulls back and forces his eyes to open in one motion, trying his best to eyeball Dean critically. "I could ask you the same thing dude," He says, reflecting and not the least bit buying the distraction Dean's trying to sell here as if they aren't standing in the middle of the hallway and he didn't just get caught peeping on their resident former angel in the dead of the night. "Were you spying on Cas or something? Paying him back for watching you sleep all those times?" Sam continues, trying to make a joke out of it even as he tries to crane his neck to see whatever it is that had his brother so occupied earlier.

 

"W-What?" Dean stammers and backpedals, eyes wide and comically innocent looking as he jerks away from Sam. "Are you crazy? I wasn't spying on Cas!" His voice takes on a bit of a high pitch there at the end and it's just too much for Sam: he bursts into wheezing laughter, one hand clutching tighter at his blanket while the other comes to wrap around his middle. Laughing hurts with still-sore abdominal muscles but the shell-shocked look on Dean's face is nothing short of priceless and that makes it worth it in Sam's book. He just wheezes and splutters and laughs all the harder while Dean flails and tries to salvage the situation. "C'mon man!" Dean wheedles, looking torn between wanting to help Sam and wanting to punch him in the nose. "Do I look like some creepy nighttime stalker? I was going to get a drink and I saw Cas' door open so I was going to close it for him." As far as excuses go it's lame, even for Dean, but he commits to it like a champ with crossed arms and a dredged up vaguely pissy look that challenges Sam to say squat about it.

 

"Th-That's what you're g-going with?" Sam manages to gasp out between chuckles, shaking his head in amazement at his brother. Even if he lives another fifty years he'll never understand Dean's logic towards things because he's clearly busted, cause yeah, sure you close doors by leaning in the doorjamb now Dean!, and they both know it but he knows his brother won't drop the charade. That was Dean for you though, determined to dazzle and confuse right to the bitter end, but if that was how his brother wanted to play things. . . With a move better suited to a football field, Sam feints to one side before slipping past his brother on the other side and goes gliding up the hall, his blanket billowing out behind him like a forgotten raggedy tail.

 

"H-Hey! Sam!" Dean yelps behind him, clearly surprised even though he probably should have seen that coming a mile off considering it's never ended well anytime he's tried pulling something past his brother. Sam can hear him scrambling to keep up but there's no need, it isn't far to the still-open door to Cas' room and besides that Sam's got ridiculously long legs. He reaches the door first, peers in, and is turning around to ask his brother just what's so special because at first glance nothing seems amiss, when he stops cold.

 

"Sam?" Dean comes to a stop behind him but Sam isn't listening, his whole attention focused on the inside of the room where Cas is still thankfully sleeping, and that's still an odd sight to see no matter how many times he's witnessed it now, but that's not what's bothering him. "Huh." He says, caught somewhere between thoughtful and utterly confused, as he turns to meet Dean's concern filled green eyes. For a long moment he simply stares, gets lost in the green depths because he certainly feels lost. "Is, uh. ." Sam mumbles, feeling faint and distantly wondering if Dean would kill him if he passed out here, his mouth working soundlessly for a moment before he forces the rest of the words out in a rush: "Is Cas holding a teddy bear?"

 

For a moment Dean looks as pole-axed as Sam feels and then he coughs, ducking his head, the tips of his ears pinking in a way that Sam can only identify as being embarrassed. "..Maybe.." Dean mumbles, refusing to meet Sam's gaze, instead switching to look past Sam into Cas' room. There, tucked into the bed is Cas, former angel of the lord, his arms laying protectively over the top of a ragged stuffed teddy bear that's pressed tight to his chest. It's an odd sight for sure, and for half a moment Sam has to wonder yet again if he's hallucinating the whole thing when Dean speaks up. "He had trouble sleeping. Nightmares." Dean says softly, his gaze never leaving the open doorway. "It always used to help you sleep when you were a kid; I figured it wouldn't hurt to try." When he finally looks back up to Sam he has an odd look in his eyes and is giving off an aura that screams 'You say one word about it and I'll punch you'.

 

To his credit Sam doesn't laugh, though there's a desperate part of him that wants to. Loudly. He's amused, certainly, but he's also amazed and impressed because for all his macho talk of 'no chick-flick moments' Dean never ceases to turn around and surprise him. It never would have occurred to Sam to give Cas something like a teddy bear to help him sleep, hell he hadn't even known Cas was having trouble sleeping in the first place, but apparently Dean had taken one look and had known instinctively what to do. It's so very like Dean that Sam can't help but crack a smile despite Dean's unspoken warning as he turns back to the room.

 

No matter the current embarrassment, Sam had to hand it to his brother; when it came to taking care of those he loved Dean knew what he was doing. Under the combined scrutiny of the brothers Cas shifts and mumbles, his hold tightening around the bear, but he doesn't wake. He looks peaceful, content, and while Sam didn't witness the nightmares himself he's grateful all the same for Cas' newfound peace of mind. He chuckles softly to himself and turns to look at Dean. "Where'd you find the bear anyway?" He asks, curiosity piqued. It's not exactly like they live down the road from a Wal-Mart or something.

 

Dean doesn't answer, but if the spreading pink of his face is any indication he's embarrassed all over again and, oh there's no way Sam's going to let this go without a fight. "Dean?" He prods, trying his best for an innocent look though he's failing considering he can't help grinning like a loon. His brother huffs and shuffles, mumbling something under his breath before he's pushing past Sam going back into the hall again. Sam simply watches, fascinated by his brother's behavior. "C'mon dude, just tell me. It can't be that bad!"

 

Dean stops, keeping his back to Sam. "It was yours, okay?" He says, leaving Sam floored behind him because really? Sam doesn't really remember his teddy bear hugging days but he turns around anyway to give Cas' bear an eyeful and sure enough the bear looks familiar. It's a sad looking thing, dark blue and ragged with tuffs of fur missing in places and tangled in others and, it's hard to tell without getting closer, but it looks like one of the eyes might be loose as well. "---Found it in the very back of the trunk. I think you hid it there so dad wouldn't throw it away." The rest of Dean's explanation drifts over him and Sam chuckles because he does remember that part. “Yeah,” He huffs out a laugh as he moves out of Cas’ room and out into the hall beside Dean. “I was so afraid he was going to find it but he never did. I’d forgotten all about it.”

 

Dean chuckles and looks up at Sam’s approach, “Guess it’s lucky for Cas that you did.” He grins and reaches out to pelt Sam good naturedly on the shoulder. “Though now that you’ve solved the mystery let’s work on getting you taken care of.” He sobers a little as he surveys Sam, taking in his pallid complexion and the shaking that Sam’s been trying to hide ineffectively under his blanket, but his grin has remained and Sam doesn’t have the energy to argue. Instead he matches Dean’s grin with a small one of his own and says “Let’s go,”


End file.
